JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 15, 2022/ — At the World Economic Forum headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, last week, Honoris United Universities (www.Honoris.net), the first and largest network of private higher education institutions in Africa, received the prestigious award for excellence in Adaptive Capacity as part of the New Champions Annual Awards 2022.
In March this year, Honoris was welcomed into the New Champions cohort of the World Economic Forum, a group of 118 dynamic high-growth companies (amongst which only 8 are African), that are championing new business models, emerging technologies, and sustainable growth strategies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Every year, the World Economic Forum New Champions Awards celebrates excellence among its members. This year they looked at how they were creating lasting impact in their industries across three categories: Adaptive Capacity, Sustainable Growth, and Societal Impact. The awards were unveiled during a ceremony as part of the New Champions Annual Retreat, which also welcomed a state of the world address by the Forum’s Founder and Executive Chairman, Professor Klaus Schwab.
Adaptive capacity is defined by the World Economic Forum as the combination of both agility and resilience. It is the ability of people, organizations, systems, and institutions to respond to extraordinary external change not only to maintain their position but to adjust and thrive in a new normal.
Adaptive capacity for Honoris is not just a reaction to the changing landscape of education post-pandemic but a part of its DNA since its inception in 2017. The transformative network takes a student-centric approach to increase access and quality of higher education in Africa, combining the expertise of its member institutions to prepare students for success in a complex, continuously changing world of work.
As students continue to find new ways to learn amidst the fourth industrial revolution, educators must transform the delivery and curriculum to meet their needs, particularly in the key employability sectors in Africa. Honoris has built several centers of excellence in Business Education, Health and Engineering, IT, and recently in Digital & Creative Arts, combining the delivery of online and in-person education with state-of-the-art learning environments.
The Honoris employability approach includes over 700 partnerships with international employers like Toyota, Orange, Dangote, Adidas, Microsoft, and IBM, supported by 23 physical and digital career centers, contributing to its successful 83% employability rate across Africa.
The World Economic Forum is the international organization for public-private Cooperation. Established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation, it is an independent and impartial international organization that strives to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public interest while upholding the highest standards of governance.
Akin to the Honoris values of collaborative intelligence and mobile mindsets, the Forum believes that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
Honoris United Universities Group CEO, Dr. Jonathan Louw, commented, “As we come to the end of another year of continued change across the globe, we are humbled to receive the award for Adaptive Capacity from the World Economic Forum New Champions’ community. 2022 has been an exceptional year for our network, we have graduated more than 20,000 students across our institutions, and our student number grew to over 71,000.
This is thanks to the passion and dedication of our people. The World Economic Forum New Champions’ award demonstrates the power and capability of unity in working toward a common goal, and as we head towards a new year, we recognize that our adaptive capacity as people and as an organization will continue to be crucial in our efforts to transform the continent.”
Julia Devos, Head of New Champions at the World Economic Forum, added, “Our community of New Champions gather mission-driven companies that are transforming the future. We are on a mission to expand this group of inspired leaders to create additional shared value for society. Honoris United Universities is a perfect example and we congratulate them again for their New Champions’ award 2022.”
By focusing on expansion in both new and existing markets, alongside strategic partnerships with the most innovative and ground-breaking organizations in the education sector, Honoris will continue its Education for Impact mission by continuously seizing and transforming new opportunities.
About Honoris United Universities:
Honoris United Universities is the first and largest pan-African private higher education network committed to transforming lives through relevant education for lifetime success. Collaborative intelligence, cultural agility and mobile mind-sets are at the heart of the Honoris approach to educate the next generation of leaders and professionals able to impact regionally in a globalized world.
Honoris combines the expertise of its member institutions to develop world-class African human talent that is competitive in today’s fast-paced, demanding and increasingly digitized labour and start-up markets.
Honoris comprises a community of 71,000 students on 70+ campuses, learning centres and via on-line, in 10 African countries and 32 cities. The network is formed of 15 institutions: multidisciplinary universities, specialized schools, technical and vocational institutes, contact, distance, and online institutions.
Students have an opportunity to experience exclusive partnerships and exchange programs in more than 190 universities across Europe, the United States and Asia. Over 420 degrees are offered in Medicine, Health Sciences, Engineering, IT, Business, Law, Architecture, Creative Arts, Fashion and Design, Media, Political Science and Education.
Honoris United Universities. Education for Impact. www.Honoris.net
About the World Economic Forum:
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation committed to changing the state of the world. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.
It was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is independent, impartial, and not tied to any special interests.
The Forum strives in all its efforts to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public interest while upholding the highest standards of governance.
The Forum believes that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
Please visit https://bit.ly/3WgN616 for more information for the New Champions Community.
